


In All But Name

by colazitron



Series: Femmeslash February 2017 [1]
Category: SKAM (TV)
Genre: F/F, Friends to Lovers, Getting Together, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-01
Updated: 2017-02-01
Packaged: 2018-09-21 11:00:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,589
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9545495
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/colazitron/pseuds/colazitron
Summary: Noora’s getting over William and Eva realises she might have a selfish motivation for wanting that to happen.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I am in no way affiliated with the characters depicted herein or their creators. I made all of this up in my head and am sharing it purely for entertainment purposes. 
> 
> HAPPY FEMMESLASH FEBRUARY!!

When William hadn't come for Noora by New Year's Eve, or even so much as called her, Noora shut down on them. She smiled and talked and walked like always, but there was no fire behind it. Vilde started bringing her boxed lunch more and more often, and it was only when Eva noticed that those were the only ones she ate that she noticed Noora had lost a good bit of weight. So she asked Vilde if she could also bring Noora lunch, and took the relief on Vilde's face to be a resounding ‘yes'.

The first time Eva presented Noora with a lunch box, she started crying, but after that she also started eating.

Along with her appetite, back came Noora’s fire. Hotter, and more destructive than Eva had ever known her to be, and usually, it seemed, directed at Isak. It didn't really make any sense to Eva, the way they'd taken to snapping at each other and glaring across hallways in school until she overheard the tail end of what seemed to be a particularly vicious verbal spar.

“I live there, so if you're going to be staying too, you're going to have to deal with the fact that Even and I are happy together,” Isak hissed, posture tense. As opposed to the rest of them, he wasn't pulling his punches with her. Maybe that's why Noora had picked him to fight this out of her system with. Because he let her.

“I don't fucking care. I'm not interested in seeing all that sickening crap you and your boyfriend get up to,” Noora spat back.

Eva could feel her gasp echoed in the sudden silence of the hallway. Isak pursed his lips and straightened his back, towering over Noora.

“I'm going to forgive you this one time, because I know that's not what you meant, but don't fucking talk to me for a few days. I don't care how sad you are, get your fucking shit together, Noora,” Isak said, voice icy cold in a way Eva had never heard it before. As he turned to leave, he caught her eye and deflated a little, jerking his head back at Noora. Eva squeezed his arm as they passed each other, and then squeezed Noora close in a hug.

“How about you stay with me,” she whispered into her hair. “Just until you can talk to Isak without accidentally sounding like a homophobe.”

Noora didn't answer, but she held on tight to Eva, so Eva followed her home after school and helped her pack her suitcase.

It was weird, living with Noora. Having her best friend around all the time should be great, but instead all Eva could think about was how she wasn't doing enough. She could provide Noora with a roof over her head, her own room, even. She could provide her with food. But she couldn't fill that hole William had left in her heart, no matter how tightly she held Noora, no matter how long she stroked her hair and hummed lullabies to help her sleep.

And then, one day when Noora was finally doing Better, capital letter and all, Eva realised like a strike of lightning that she didn't just want Noora better because she was her best friend. She wasn't just angry at William for making her so sad. She couldn't believe such a fucking asshole had gotten the chance to be with the most amazing girl Eva had ever met and had fucked it up so royally. What kind of idiot didn't go after Noora with all they had, if given the chance.

Not that Eva would be given that chance.

She started second-guessing every action around Noora, equally terrified and excited by the prospect of being found out. And then one day over lunch with the boys, Isak suddenly caught her eyes, studied her for a moment, flicked his eyes to Noora, back at Eva, and finally grinned. Eva had no idea what had given her away - she hadn't even been talking to Noora! - but he had found her out.

Somehow, in the most bizarre, karmic twist of Eva’s life, Isak seemed to elect himself cheerleader of Eva’s non-existent quest to win over Noora’s heart. He'd text her about movies and foods Noora had mentioned to Eskild, let her know if Noora seemed particularly down or particularly cheerful in the psychology lesson they shared. And Eva... well. It'd be a shame to let such Intel go to waste, wouldn't it? So she cooked with Noora, cuddled on her bed watching movies on her laptop, took Noora on walks when she felt good, and for ice cream when she didn't.

“At this point you're basically dating. Without the actual dating part,” Isak said one day that saw them waiting for their respective-- for Even and Noora outside school. Isak had decided to get a headstart on some homework, bent over his work, but still talking to her.

Eva made a non-committal noise.

“Eva,” Isak said, and then halted for long enough that she looked up and caught his gaze.

“Have you ever even told her you're into girls too? Cause that seems like a vital piece of information if you want her to put this whole thing together,” he said.

Eva hadn't. She knew Noora had had a girlfriend back in Madrid, remembered the way Noora had whispered it to her when Vilde wouldn't stop bringing it up last year, but Eva hadn't realised they sat in the same boat then. She’d still thought her kissing girls was only about fun. And somehow... she'd never gotten around to letting Noora know.

“Did you know Even was into boys?” she asked instead of answering, which was probably answer enough.

Isak snorted a laugh.

“Even cornered me in the kitchen after staring me down while making out with his ex, and tried to kiss me. It was only the third time we’d spoken in two weeks. He wasn’t really subtle about his intentions,” he said.

“Noted,” Eva grinned. 

“Just tell her,” Isak said with a roll of his eyes.

It was easier said than done, of course, but seeing the way Isak’s entire face lit up when he met Even's eyes halfway across the courtyard, the way every edge about him seemed to soften just a little bit, made it look fucking worth it.

“Maybe I should back to dating girls,” Noora joked, as they stood and watched them walk off.

“I'm bisexual,” Eva blurted, because it seemed subtler than _yes, do that, and pick me_. “Or pansexual. I don't get the difference.”

“Bi is when you're attracted to someone because of their gender, pan is attraction regardless of gender,” Noora said, which was... not the reaction Eva had been expecting or hoping for.

“I still don't get it,” she said with a shrug.

“That’s okay,” Noora said, and pulled Eva into a hug.

“Thank you for telling me,” she said.

“I wanted you to know,” Eva said, turning to look directly into Noora’s eyes.

Noora smiled at her and then linked their arms the way she tended to.

“Come on, let's go home,” she said.

While they sat on the bus, Noora chatting about her day, the clouds that had been covering the sky all day finally broke, and it started to rain. It was fitting, Eva thought, staring out the window while Noora talked. She hadn't expected a grand declaration of love, violins, and true love’s kiss. But she had hoped for a bit more of a reaction. Maybe some indication that this could at all change things between them. Instead, it seemed like Noora couldn't be less affected by the idea of Eva liking girls. Like the thought of _them_ had never even crossed her mind.

Maybe Eva would have to go and try to kiss her in the kitchen, but not... not today. Today she needed to lick her wounds.

When they got off the bus, the rain had gotten heavier, so Eva pulled off her beanie and pushed it down over Noora’s hair before flipping up her hood. Noora studied her for a moment and then laughed.

“Thanks, babe,” she said, and leaned in to kiss Eva’s cheek.

Eva froze. Wait, what?

“Babe?” she asked.

“Yes? Have you not been aggressively dating me for a while now? I'm sorry I didn't realise you meant it, but I didn't know you were...”

“Yeah, Isak said to tell you,” Eva said.

“Isak? Well, I suppose he's redeemed himself.”

“Wait, but. Does this mean you'll be my girlfriend?” Eva asked, still unclear as to what was happening.

Noora laughed again.

“Yes! Have you not noticed me aggressively dating you back? I've never pushed you away, have I?”

“Oh,” Eva said, thinking back to how Noora had let her sit closer, snuggle more, be sweeter than strictly common between friends. Her laugh louder at Eva’s jokes. Her indulgence whenever Eva suggestes they do something together, just the two of them.

“Yes, indeed. Now can we get going? It's still raining,” Noora pointed out.

“No,” Eva said, and took the two strides it took her to stand in front of Noora and wrap her arms around her waist to lean in for a kiss.

Who the fuck cared about a little rain when the most amazing girl you’d ever met was giving you a chance after all? Not Eva. Not when Noora giggled against her mouth and then wrapped her arms around her neck, equally unbothered by the rain.

**The End**

**Author's Note:**

> Since writing and posting this I have had many more talks about the bi/pan thing and want to say that what Noora says here is something some people say to differentiate bi/pan, but it's a bit misleading and by no means the definitive or only truth. Bi in no way means "attracted to two genders". It means "experiences both homo and heterosexual attraction, ie to their own AND other genders". The difference between bi and pan is literally only in name. "Bisexual" is more of a label for sexuality/behavior (it's the academic umbrella term as well) while "pansexual" is more of an identity label, it's also about expressing how you view gender (and falls into the academic "Bi" category, for instance). I hope in case anyone is confused (I found that distinction confusing for ages myself) this helped, or at least didn't make it worse!


End file.
